Norman Mailer, one of the 20th centuries most talented and controversial writers, has passed away at age 84. Mailer was a larger-than-life figure in New York society and for all the acclaim his novels such as The Naked and the Dead and The Executiion of Private Slovik achieved, he alienated many other people in his life. Married six times, he stabbed one of his previous wives during a drunken argument at a party. Always a political gadfly, Mailer's views swung to the hard left and resulted in his making an ill-conceived run for the mayorship of New York City. His long-term feud with fellow author Gore Vidal is the stuff of gossip page legend. Always in the midst of controversy, Mailer was accused of plagiarism for his biography of Marilyn Monroe - a charge the author vehemently denied. He also championed convict Jack Henry Abbott and acted as his mentor, saying he had the potential of being a great writer. Mailer succeeded in getting Abbott released from prison - only to have Abbott stab a waiter to death. Mailer also produced several films, though none was a box-office success. He also directed the 1987 film Tough Guys Don't Dance. Mailer dabbled in acting occasionally, most notably appearing as Stanford White in Milos Forman's Ragtime. For full details click here